The Friday Dispatch
Cameron Winter, Witch Post, Zolita, Lindsay Ell, and the best albums of 2024 according to us
Cameron Winter is not kidding this time
Heavy Metal, the solo debut of Geese frontman Cameron Winter, captures a 22-year-old who is barely old enough to legally drink in his home in Brooklyn, burdened with a voice that's heavy with dissatisfaction - an unnameable loss of purpose - which better befits a crooner slumped over a bar with only experience for company. It’s that voice, proof of God if there ever was one, which went some distance in making Geese the fascination of New York City.
The complicated birth of the record was both a self-described “inconvenience” and “pain in the ass” – and, by that same token, entirely necessary. “…Rest assured, my solo album is unique,” he declared in its announcement, “because barely anybody knows who my band is, I’m young and not afraid of living with my parents and I’m free to chase whatever ideas I want.”
From where did the compulsion to write a solo album arise? “Oh, vanity, primarily," says Winter. "Just my big ego. It has to be about me, etc.” But then he alights on something more sincere: “All I knew about this album was that I really wanted it to not sound like Geese. It would be embarrassing if I took all this time away to just have it be an album with a way worse guitarist and bassist – me. It would be just terrible. So that set nice limits for me. I resisted drums wherever possible; I resisted electric guitar wherever possible and tried to figure out a way to soften the arrangements. That led me to some cool places, I think, and some weirder spots. So I chased this thing, even though it was inopportune.”
The best albums of 2024, ranked
As always, our attempt to refine and define Best Fit’s album of the year list was a herculean undertaking. Here’s our top 20; jump over to Best Fit for the full 50
My Light, My Destroyer by Cassandra Jenkins
Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman
Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee
Your Day Will Come by Channel Beads
I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy
Endlessness by Nala Sinephro
Two Star & The Dream Police by Mk.gee
Brat by Charli XCX
GNX by Kendrick Lamar
Psykos by Yung Lean and Bladee
Romance by Fontaines D.C.
Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay
Odyssey by Nubya Garcia
C,XOXO by Camila Cabello
You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To by Knocked Loose
Lives Outgrown by Beth Gibbons
Night Reign by Arooj Aftab
My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya
Chromakopia by Tyler, the Creator
Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee
To celebrate our number one record this year, we're also giving away a bumper package of vinyl from our friends at Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans, along with a subscription to the Secretly Society record club.
Witch Post are bringing the cool back to rock music
As Witch Post, the super-duo of Alaska Reid and Dylan Fraser are kindred spirits channeling the blood, sweat and tears of 90s alt-rock into a sound all of their own.
The pair met a few years ago after Fraser heard Reid’s music during one of his five-hour journeys from Scotland to London. After messaging her on Instagram, the pair became fast friends. Even today their still unsure of what exactly this period of their lives is leading to, but they do know that it came at the right time": "We really had a situationship that lasted many months," Reid says. “Finally, I remember we had this moment where, I think Dylan, you offered the ultimatum. You were like, we just need to commit to only this if we're gonna do it.”
The pair recognised a space in the musical landscape for the kind of rock band that died out at the turn of the millennium: all dirty-fingernails, grit and restless energy. And while it may be a grand statement to attribute to Witch Post, their appreciation for 90s alt-rock is deep in the duo's DNA; Fraser has an affinity for Sonic Youth, Nine Inch Nails et al, while Reid loved Dinosaur Jr. and The Replacements. They pay tribute to these influences on the cranked-to-eleven single "Rust", released today.
"We're bringing back good, cool, rock music,” Reid says. Sometimes I feel like there's not a lot of that out there. There's definitely people doing stuff, but then there's a lot of boring shit, and we're not going to be boring." And if that wasn't enough, she follows this promise up with an even larger one: "We're ambitious, and we're going to make you listen."
The introduction
A proper star on the rise, Zolita is honing her brand of powerhouse queer pop.
Describe your sound… Sapphic yearning and anger in a 2000s rom com.
How you started making music… I was deeply obsessed with music videos, and I decided to start making them for the songs I’d been writing just for fun.
Gayest song you’ve written… “Small Town Scandal.”
Favourite piece of queer media and why… Right now, “Love Lies Bleeding!” It’s innovative and sexy and makes my filmmaker heart beat really fast.
Best/favourite piece in your tour wardrobe closet… My red leather sparkly ass-less chaps.
Zolita’s latest single, “Bye Bye Baby,” is out now
Something Old, Something New
Every week, we share recommendations from the Best Fit community on two iconic records — one from the past, one from the present. This week, songwriter, touring musician, and artist Lindsay Ell shares her thoughts on Tuesday Night Music Club by Sheryl Crow (1993) and Paint My Bedroom Black by Holly Humberstone (2023).
This record shaped so much of my development as a songwriter. I fell in love with Sheryl as an artist who just wrote songs about the things she cared about, particularly on Tuesday Night Music Club. She didn’t think about genre when she created this album, she just made music that was great with songs that said something. Songs like “Strong Enough” and “All I Wanna Do” were pivotal in forming my songwriter voice.
Holly Humberstone’s songwriting has been so refreshing to listen to. In a world that is flooded with so much new music, it’s hard to find things that stick out, but Paint My Bedroom Black completely did for me. I still cannot get over some of the songs and sounds on this album. I definitely think Holly falls on the list of being ‘your artist’s favorite artist’. She is so transparent and honest in her writing. Songs like “Paint My Bedroom Black,” “Into Your Room” and “Superbloodmoon” have been on repeat for me for the last two years.
Listen to the week in new music by following our Discovery playlist
Dropping at midnight every Thursday, follow our playlist for a taste of the best new music from the most exciting breaking artists – 20 new tracks from the last five days in music that we’ve got on repeat in the Best Fit office right now.
Topping our list this week we’ve got Unflirt, Azuleja, Pozer, Maria Jaume, Horsegirl, and coverstar Witch Post.
“Compiling a year-end list is still the only activity that makes me truly feel like a Professional Critic, rising from my gilded chamber to drop some sort of objective and imperious decree.”
Love Geese, love Cameron